Fatah–Hamas conflict

Palestinian group Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party have agreed to create a committee to jointly run post-war Gaza, negotiators from both sides said on Tuesday.

Qatar has suspended its role as a key mediator for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until Hamas and Israel demonstrate "seriousness" in talks, the foreign ministry said Saturday.

Senior officials from Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas met in Cairo on Nov. 2 to discuss forming a committee to manage Gaza's governance in the aftermath of the war, Egypt's Al Qahera News TV has quoted a security source as saying.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due in Israel on Sunday as mediators seek to cement a Gaza ceasefire deal, while a senior Hamas official dismissed "American diktats" in negotiations.

A Palestinian prisoners watchdog said Tuesday that a man shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank the previous day had been freed during the November truce in the Gaza war.

Hamas on Tuesday named Yahya Sinwar, the man Israel says masterminded the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Gaza war, as its new political chief following last week's killing of his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh.

The announcement came with the Middle East on edge as it awaited Iran's retaliation over the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran.

A memorial service for Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader killed in a Tehran strike, was held Friday at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

Thousands attended to pay their respects during Friday prayers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had been scheduled to speak, canceled his appearance at the last minute and declared Friday a national day of mourning for Haniyeh.

The temperature is soaring. The already incendiary region of the Near Middle East is one step closer to the danger of a broader escalation after the assassination of Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran early this morning.

Hamas has announced the signing of an agreement with various Palestinian organizations, including its rival Fatah, to pursue "national unity." The deal, which was signed in Beijing, has been described by China as a framework for joint governance of Gaza following the conclusion of the ongoing conflict.

Heavy strikes rocked Gaza City on Monday as Hamas and Israel staked their claims ahead of truce talks, with Israeli protesters rallying for a hostage release deal.

Mediators Egypt and Qatar were due to host new talks this week, according to officials, as the bloodiest ever Gaza war raged on into its 10th month.